Convergence is an exciting but not-for-profit event. We have been working hard to minimise costs at every opportunity and to make attending the best value for money it can possibly be. One way we are reducing costs is by only accepting payments via bank transfer to the Convergence bank account. In this way we have been able to avoid costly credit card fees.
Once you have submitted your registration form (available from 1st Feb), Jenny will send you an invoice for your deposit ($400NZ) with details of the bank account to pay into.
All Convergence funds are held in a separate sub-account of the Auckland Fun Felters group bank account.
For anyone with an NZ bank account you just need to log into your app or online banking to make the transfer.
For anyone attending from overseas we appreciate it may not be quite so simple! You may choose to make your payment directly through your bank or investigate minimising your transfer fee costs by using a money transfer service.
Transfer funds to NZ from your bank account
We can not accept credit card payments as we have not set up those facilities.
International Bank Transfer
Most current accounts will allow transfers to a bank account in another country but they typically incur transfer fees and foreign exchange fees (or a less than favourable exchange rate).
Unfortunately, each bank has their own fee structure so we can’t provide the information specific to your bank but you might like to ask them and compare with the Wise fees below.
Wise (formerly Transfer Wise)
There are other options to making overseas payments from your own bank account. Our committee has had experience using Wise for their personal overseas payments. Wise have their own website: https://wise.com
Wise are unusual in that they don’t inflate the exchange rate in their favour and they are transparent about the fees they charge.
Disclaimer: There are other currency transfer services available but Wise is the only one we have had personal experience with.
This is an example of what a transfer of your deposit might look like if your local currency is AUD (please note the actual values change hourly to reflect the current exchange rate):
That’s interesting but I’m not from Australia?
You can explore how much a Wise transfer will cost in your local currency here.
Select your country in the top box, New Zealand Dollar in the second box and change the “recipient gets” amount to $400. The top box will change to show you the cost in your local currency.
Select “bank transfer” in the third box*
*You can also choose to pay by debit / credit card but these options are typically more expensive than a bank transfer and you will still have to pay the card fee even if you select the “first transfer is free” option (see below). The fees for each option are displayed after you select them.
But wait, DON’T click the “open account” button, there’s more!
If you don’t already have a Wise account but think you might like to try this method, this link will give you your first transfer for free (or their debit card for free – this may be worth considering if you regularly travel overseas and are looking for a low cost way to spend in foreign countries).
Tip:
If you would like to take the free transfer option, paying the full balance of your registration fee in one go will maximise your savings.
Also, for every 3 people who sign up with this link, Convergence 2025 will receive a donation from Wise which will help to bring our costs down and make attending even more affordable for everyone.
How to pay your Convergence invoice using Wise
- From the Home screen, Click the green Send button
- Add a recipient (or pay an existing recipient if you are paying the balance of your fee)
- Select NZD
- Click “Enter Bank Details” > “select business / charity”
- The top part of the form should look like the image below
- Copy and paste the bank account number from your invoice
- Enter how much you’d like to transfer by completing the “recipient gets” box
- Choose how to pay (which of your accounts you would like to pay from)
- Review…

That’s it!